Day 1 Shanghai → Auckland
All day
Tourists are requested to arrive at the International Departure Hall of T1 of Shanghai Pudong International Airport 3 hours in advance to assemble and depart for Auckland, the world's "City of Sails", New Zealand's North Island.
Full refund in case of visa rejection:
This itinerary is a group visa to New Zealand, valid for a single trip, and includes group visa services. Documents must be submitted to the designated email address on China-TravelNote approximately 21-30 days before departure. If there are no document issues, visas will be issued within a week of departure. In the event of a group visa rejection, a full refund will be offered. For details, please see "Fees Included - Visa" section.
Day 2 Auckland → Hobbiton → Rotorua
·morning
After arriving in Auckland in the morning, we will take a bus to [Hobbiton Village].
This is not only the filming location for "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit," but it's also an immersive, magical journey! Step onto lush green meadows, bathe in a leisurely stream, and experience a fairytale-like world surrounded by charming huts. Each hut holds a unique story and decoration, making visitors feel like they've stepped into a film set.
·afternoon
After lunch, we'll depart for Rotorua. Upon arrival, we'll check in and then head to Hell's Gate. Here, you can experience a natural volcanic mud bath, relaxing your body and mind, relieving travel fatigue and allowing the minerals to purify every inch of your skin.
Note: For safety reasons, the volcanic mud bath experience is limited to 20 minutes per person.
Special note: Since tourists are tired from the flight the night before, the rest of the time is for them to rest and adjust.
Day 3 Rotorua Day Trip
·morning
After breakfast, we started a pleasant day in Rotorua. When we came to New Zealand, a farm experience tour was a good choice.
Agrodome Farm is New Zealand's largest tourist ranch. The ranch primarily raises sheep, beef cattle, dairy cows, red deer, sika deer, llamas, mules, horses, and ostriches. The ranch is privately owned and offers traditional New Zealand farm performances, including sheep shearing and sheepdog shows.
At Agrodome Farm, tourists can enjoy tractor rides, feed sheep and alpacas along the way, and sample honey and kiwi juice from the organic orchard (depending on the season). Wandering through the idyllic farm under the bright sunshine, enjoying the blue sky and white clouds, and interacting closely with the various animals, Agrodome Farm offers tourists a natural, green experience.
·afternoon
Specially arranged* farm lunch experience, enjoy the comfortable life in New Zealand.
Afterwards, head to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. Hailed as "one of the most surreal places in the world," the palette-like champagne pools are like a dream, and steam billows from them, reminiscent of a fantasy world. This geothermal wonderland is centered around the active Taupo Volcanic Area, with a three-kilometer walking trail leading to various interesting attractions.
Visit the redwood forest at the right time and enjoy a light hike inside. Inside the redwood forest, towering trees rise from the ground, one close to the other, surrounding visitors. Everyone around you feels like a citizen of Lilliput.
Afterwards, you can relax at your own leisure if you have enough time.
·night
In the evening, we headed to Mitai Maori Village. This cultural village offers Maori cultural experiences only in the evenings. Tourists are seated in designated restaurants by 6:30 PM. A Maori host will give a lecture and elect a leader for the group. Visitors can watch the Maori cooking methods, including the sizzling stone barbecue, creating a fragrant atmosphere.
Afterwards, we will watch the Maori war boat show and some Maori song and dance performances. After enjoying the special buffet, tourists can also ask questions to the host in English during this time.
After dinner, we will start a night tour of the forest to look for blue fireflies in the Southern Hemisphere (subject to actual situation).
Day 4 Rotorua → Tauranga → Auckland
·morning
After breakfast, we'll depart for Tauranga, New Zealand's sixth largest city, and enjoy a relaxing time at Maunganui Beach. The endless white sand and azure waters will soothe your day's fatigue.
If time and energy permit, tourists can choose to take a light hike (about 2 hours) to climb Mount Maunganui. During the climb, they can enjoy the charming scenery of the city and coastline from multiple angles.
·afternoon
After a free lunch, we will return to Auckland and our guide will take the tourists on a brief tour of Auckland:
Devonport is a must-see when visiting Auckland. The Mount Victoria Lookout, located next to Devonport, is a great spot for panoramic views of the city. From the top, you can overlook the entire city, including the Sky Tower, the tallest tower in the city.
The endless "City of a Thousand Sails," the endless blue sea. At Westhaven Pier, thousands of beautiful, unique, yet immaculately clean sailboats sway in the harbor.
Afterwards, if there is enough time, tourists can have free time.
Day 5 Auckland → Christchurch
·morning
Today we will fly to Christchurch in the South Island.
·afternoon
Don't miss the Christchurch River Markets! Whether you're looking for shops, food, shopping, or just checking out your favorite photo opportunities, this is the perfect place for you! Tourists can enjoy snacks and take photos that look just like Instagram and Xiaohongshu!
Visit the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, established in 1863. Originally a natural wetland and sand dunes, the gardens have been transformed into a vibrant and vibrant floral display. The gardens cover 30 hectares and feature 10 distinct gardens, showcasing over 10,000 native and introduced plant species. Most of these gardens are located within the Avon River basin.
There are seats on the banks of the Avon River where you can sit down and rest for a while if you are tired.
The Cardboard Cathedral. This temporary church, designed and rebuilt by Japanese designer Shigeru Ban, was built a block away from the ruins of the cathedral. The building has an A-shaped concrete base, with cardboard rolls forming the sides and shipping containers supporting the walls. Stained glass windows are inlaid at either end.
·night
For dinner, we enjoyed a barbecue feast at the popular local restaurant Smokey T's. The authentic American smoked barbecue instantly turned tourists into fierce carnivores.
Day 6 Christchurch → Akaroa → Tekapo → Twizel
·morning
After breakfast, depart for the port town of Akaroa for an unparalleled lobster fishing trip. Embark aboard a 17-meter catamaran and sail along the tranquil bay. You'll encounter Hector's dolphins, the world's smallest, and witness Fiordland fur seals and seals from afar, with the chance of spotting fur seals. The captain and crew will fish for New Zealand coldwater red lobsters and other wild seafood. Return with a bountiful catch, the journey takes approximately two hours.
After the trip, we will go to Christchurch restaurant and enjoy a luxurious seafood feast with the ingredients caught that day.
·afternoon
After lunch, we'll travel to the small town of Tekapo to explore Lake Tekapo. In this vibrant spring, numerous wildflowers, such as lupine, bloom vibrantly along the shores of Lake Tekapo, creating a vibrant palette of nature. The scenery is further enhanced by the backdrop of the azure sky and the snow-capped Southern Alps in the distance. Melting glaciers converge near the Shepherd's Church, flowing downstream into the milky blue Lake Tekapo. Every drop of water speaks of nature's grandeur and tranquility.
Strolling along the lakeside, feeling the solemnity and sacredness of the Shepherd's Church, it's as if time has stood still, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in this beautiful scenery. And amidst this gorgeous sea of lupine flowers, one can truly feel the wonder of nature and the power of life.
Then we will go to the small town of Twizel to stay overnight.
Day 7 Twizel → Mount Cook → Wanaka → Queenstown
·morning
After breakfast at the hotel, depart for Mount Cook National Park. Inside, hike along the boardwalk to admire the breathtaking views of the mountains and glaciers. One-third of Mount Cook National Park is covered in snow or ice year-round. Admire the snow-capped peaks of Chuanyun Peak and the radiating glaciers of various sizes. Nearby, admire the magnificent views of Mount Cook and the Müller Glacier, offering breathtaking views of the mountains and glaciers.
Enjoy a special 25-minute scenic helicopter flight over Mount Cook, with either a mountain or snow landing. The aircraft will fly close to a steep ridge, followed by a rapid ascent by an experienced pilot. This thrilling and exciting maneuver will get your heart racing. Once you recover and gaze down, you'll be captivated by the breathtaking beauty of Mount Cook and the surrounding peaks. Afterward, you'll descend into the mountains, where you'll exit the helicopter and have time to explore the snow and take photos. (No age restrictions. If cancelled due to weather conditions, a refund of RMB 900 per adult and RMB 700 per child will be issued.)
After admiring Mount Cook, we followed Scenic Highway 8 to Lindis Pass. The azure waters of Lake Pukaki are bathed in a dreamy hue, earning it the nickname "Turkish Blue Lake." Powdered impurities carried by the glaciers give the water a dreamy blue-green hue, resembling rich milk. Surrounded by perpetually snow-capped mountains, the lake creates a Shangri-La-like wonderland, a captivating filming location for the Lord of the Rings films.
·afternoon
Enjoy lunch at Highland Salmon Farm. The salmon here is rich and delicious. Fish feeding and fishing are also available (at your own expense).
Afterwards, we'll drive to the small town of Wanaka and explore Lake Wanaka, New Zealand's fourth-largest lake, where we'll visit a solitary tree. Surrounded by the majestic Southern Alps, the lake offers a tranquil escape, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in this secluded paradise.
Then continue driving to Queenstown.
·night
Arrive in Queenstown in the evening and enjoy the Vietnamese rice noodles at Saigon Kingdom Restaurant, a perfect choice for those with a thirst for food in Asia!
Day 8: Free day in Queenstown (driver and guide service not included)
All day
After picking the fruit, we will go to Queenstown and have free time in the adventure city.
Recommendation 1: Glenorchy:
Many people come to Glenorchy for the red house from Lord of the Rings, but few realize the lakeside scenery is just as stunning. There's a hiking trail nearby called "Paradise," and it truly is. The scenery from Queenstown is also stunning, with the mountain road running along Lake Pukaki, flanked by trees and lakeside. There are plenty of parking spots and viewpoints, making it well worth spending the better part of a day exploring.
Recommendation 2: [Skydiving]
Known as the "Adventure Capital of the World," Queenstown is the birthplace of tandem skydiving in New Zealand and a dream destination! The drop zone is nestled at the foot of the famous Remarkables Mountains, surrounded by sheep farms and offering stunning scenery.
Recommendation 3: [SKYLINE Skyway]
As the cable car moves, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire town and Lake Wakatipu. You can also make a reservation for a Western-style dinner at the top of the mountain.
After a free dinner, check in to the hotel and rest.
Day 9: Free day in Queenstown (driver and guide service not included)
All day
Recommendation 1: [Mildford Sound Day Tour with Lunch] (Requires a full day)
Milford Sound is a famous scenic spot on New Zealand's South Island, one of the Eight Wonders of the World. "Sound" means deep fjord. It's a deep valley carved by glacial water during the Ice Age. Surrounded by mountains, the deep glaciers are now submerged by the sea. The fjord is a scene of rolling peaks and majestic waterfalls, nestled among the peaks and granite cliffs. It's also a playground for seals, seagulls, and dolphins, but you'll need luck to see them! Milford Sound, covering 8,000 square kilometers, is a New Zealand national park. Its most captivating natural feature is the glacially carved canyons. Two million years ago, massive glaciers carved deep valleys into the mountain sides. This is the fascinating Fiordland National Park and Heritage Area. A trip to New Zealand without visiting Milford Sound would be a profound regret.
Recommendation 2: [TSS Earnslaw Steamship]
Known as the "Grand Lady" of Lake Wakatipu, the 1912 Coal-fired Steam Passenger Ship, which debuted in 1912, the same year as the Titanic, remains the Southern Hemisphere's only remaining coal-fired steam passenger ship. It's a must-see cruise experience in Queenstown. Embark on this miniature 19th-century industrial revolution heritage ship, listen to its roar and the music of a luthier as you journey to the Mackenzie Family Farm/Walter Peak Station and experience the relaxed life of a cowboy.
In addition, there are many exciting activities in Queenstown and its surrounding areas, such as canyon swings, bungee jumping, paragliding and jet boats, etc. Tourists can book them according to their preferences.
Day 10 Queenstown → Oamaru
·morning
After breakfast, drive to Oamaru, the punk capital.
·afternoon
Upon arrival, take a stroll through the Victorian district. The retro European-style buildings are impressive and full of history. Walking along the streets, tourists will feel as if they have traveled back to the Victorian era.
Visit the Steampunk Museum, a unique and whimsical museum not to be missed. It's a futuristic 19th-century Victorian England, complete with rusted locomotives entangled in chains, a testament to Oamaru's prosperity during the 19th-century gold rush. Everything inside is touchable, with many machines and mechanisms you can play with, including a wondrous laboratory. It's like being in a movie, a truly captivating experience.
Then head to Oamaru Lookout, which is a great place to overlook the city and harbor.
·night
A special evening activity: [Penguin Parade] You can watch the blue-eyed penguins parade between 7 and 8 p.m., which is quite lively and interesting. You'll also see many seals lying on the rocks nearby, looking very cute and lazy.
Then check in to the hotel and rest.
Day 11 Oamaru → Dunedin → Auckland → Shanghai
·morning
After breakfast, we will drive to Dunedin. Upon arrival, we will start our Dunedin city tour.
Dunedin Railway Station was opened in 1906. It is a huge ancient building. Its grand, magnificent and magnificent appearance, vast mosaic tile floors and gorgeous stained glass windows make it a building that countless tourists must take pictures of.
Otago Cathedral is the first church in New Zealand. It is built in Gothic style and can be seen from the center of the square.
Baldwin Street is the steepest inhabited street in the world. It is short and straight, with a total length of 350 meters. The slope is 19 degrees, which means that the height increases by 1 meter for every 2.86 meters you walk. Climbing to the top of the street feels like climbing a mountain.
The University of Otago is a historic university in New Zealand. The main campus is located in the center of Dunedin. The buildings have a strong Scottish flavor, and the exterior walls inlaid with black glazed ceramic tiles are full of art and romance.
·afternoon
In the afternoon, take the flight back to Auckland.
·night
Then transfer to an international flight back to Shanghai.
Day 12 Shanghai
All day
The group will disband after arriving in Shanghai, ending the trip.
